[Vancomycin and arbekacin, drugs of treatment for MRSA infections]

In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has permitted recently that vancomycin is given parenterally. Therefore, this drug will be useful for the treatment for MRSA infections. Arbekacin, a newly developed aminoglycoside antibiotic, showed more active than vancomycin to MRSA in vitro. Therefore this drug will be also useful for the treatment for MRSA infections. Combined activity of arbekacin and vancomycin against 27 MRSA strains was evaluated by checkerboard technique. No synergistic effects were detected against these strains. Antagonistic effects were observed against 2 strains. "Vancomycin-arbekacin combined therapy" should be done, therefore, to restricted cases.